Tennessee has officially announced the hire of Jim Knowles as the school’s next defensive coordinator. Josh Heupel and Tim Banks parted ways over the weekend in a move that was announced on Monday and it’s now clear he had a target in mind.
Jim Knowles, who was a part of James Franklin’s Penn State staff last year, was not retained by new head coach Matt Campbell. The door was open from there, and Heupel had his guy.
“Hiring Jim Knowles was our top priority from the start of this process,” Heupel said in the announcement. “Jim has a proven track record of developing elite defenses that play with an edge, and we got to see that first-hand during the 2024 College Football Playoff. His defenses are always physical, well prepared and can adapt quickly in-game against today’s complex offenses. He’s a competitor, a winner and someone who will get the most out of our players in practice and on gameday. We are thrilled to welcome Jim to Rocky Top as he helps us chase championships.”
Knowles has turned defenses around at Duke, Oklahoma State and Ohio State over the past 15 years. His work at Oklahoma State took the Cowboys from one of the nation’s worst in 2018 to a fourth-ranked finish in 2021. That effort was noticed and Ohio State came calling. Knowles then helped the Buckeyes to a national title in 2024, rolling through Tennessee on their way.
Knowles does have at least a bit of a Tennessee tie, working under former offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe for several years at Duke. In his final season with the Blue Devils, Duke finished 21st in total defense. He also spent time with Cutcliffe at Ole Miss as the linebackers coach.
A former defensive end, Knowles returned to his alma mater (Cornell) as an assistant coach in the 90s. He would eventually become Cornell’s head coach from 2004-2009.
In Knoxville, Knowles will be tasked with taking over a defense that took a large step backwards this season. He’ll arrive in time to attack the transfer portal, which is set to open on January 2nd.
